Rebel Love Song
by SilenceIsGolden15
Summary: Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel are six kids living in a neighborhood where everyone is the same and everyone keeps secrets from everyone else. A place ruled by status, reputation, fear, and hypocrisy. Can they survive such a place? Can love bloom?(Disclaimer: There are very touchy subjects in this fic, such as religion. I am not intending to offend or insult any beliefs.)
1. Chapter 1

Hi. My name is Max.

Well, technically it's Maxine, but that doesn't really seem to fit me, you know? Like if you are super girly and you have a sporty name. It's same with me, except I hate traditional girl stuff and have a girly sounding name.

Yeah. So call me Max. K? K.

I'm a little odd, compared to a lot of the people I live with and go to school with. Almost every girl owns something with Justin Bieber or One Direction on it, and almost every guy has something with Lil Wayne. Don't get me wrong, I'm not hating on it. They liked it. Thats ok. What wasn't ok was how they treated me because I didn't like it.

To put it bluntly, I'm an outcast. I have really bright red streaks in my mid-back length dirty blonde hair, and I had a single black ring through my bottom lip. I rarely ever wear makeup except black eyeliner. I wear a lot of black and gray, combat boots, and too big hoodies whose sleeves fell down to my knuckles. I listen to Black Veil Brides, Three Days Grace, and Linkin Park. As you can see, I'm not exactly 'normal'.

And I was despised for it.

But enough about that. Let's move on to family. I live with my mother and my sister. My mom is hispanic, with curly brown hair and eyes to match, that I inherited. She has tan skin, and is the kindest but most protective woman you will ever meet. I love her to death. My sisters name is Ella. She isn't quite a weird as me. She has a single blonde streak running through her hair, which matched my mom's, but thats it. Aside from that, she resembled my mom in every way, including personality.

I know what you're wondering. 'Where's your dad, Max?' Well, he and my mom are divorced. Had been for 4 years, since I was thirteen. He was a very, very devout Christian, and when I started listening to my rock music and wanted to dye my hair, he went beserk. Now, like I said before, I am not in any way bashing Christians. Most of them are very lovely. But Jeb... he wasn't like them. He was one of those fanatics that uses their faith to try and force their tyrannical control on others. When I started wearing darker colors, he grounded me and burned all my clothes. When that didn't work, he started verbally abusing me, constantly telling me I was going to 'burn in hell' and that I 'wasn't acceptable in society'. It hurt, but I'm a stubborn person, so I didn't give in to him.

One afternoon, my mom took Ella and I out for some shopping. I had found t-shirts for my favorite bands and an amazing black hoodie. Of course, when we got home, Jeb obviously wanted to know what we had bought. I reluctantly showed him, and he snapped. Started screaming horrible things at me. He even threw a lamp at my head. Luckily, I managed to duck, but my mom had had enough. That very evening she was on the phone with her lawyer, filing for a divorce.

He moved to a town about an hour away, and he got joint custody of me and Ella. But it's arranged weird. He gets me on Christmas Break, Ella Spring Break. He gets me the first month of summer, and Ella the second, so that we're never together. My time with him is always very tense, and all of the people that live near him A. Don't have kids my age and B. share his views about me. So basically, it's torture.

I'm seventeen now. I leave for his house tomorrow morning, for an entire month.

I am not looking forward to it.

"Max, honey, it's time to go!" I groaned and switched off my Ipod, unplugging it from the speakers and shoving the speakers into my backpack.

"Max!"

"Give me a sec!" I yelled back. I quickly zipped up my backpack, then plugged my headphones into my Ipod. I stuck one in my ear, hit shuffle, then scooped up my backpack and grabbed my small rolling suitcase. I thumped down the stairs to where my mother was waiting next to the open front door. She was glancing at her watch and tapping her foot. She glanced up, saw me, and opened her mouth. Before she could say anything, I was tackled into a hug by my sister.

"I'm gonna miss you!" she exclaimed, squeezing me.

"I'm gonna miss you too." I replied with a laugh, ruffling her hair.

"Don't let Jeb's craziness get to you too much." she whispered as we pulled away. I gave her a smile, just as my mom spoke up again.

"Ok, ok." I said, walking out the door. "Bye Ella!"

"Bye Max!"

My mom threw my backpack and suitcase in the backseat, then hurried me into the passenger and quickly pulled out of the driveway.

"Why are you in such a hurry anyway?" I grumbled. Usually she wasn't so impatient.

"Your dad moved again. He's a little farther away, and I have to be back by 5. I have a date." I just rolled my eyes and put in my other earbud. As I hummed along to In the End by BVB, I wondered if the people in Jebs new neighborhood would be any more accepting.

Yeah, right.


	2. Chapter 2

Finally, we're here. This took two hours, rather than the usual hour. Jeb's house was even more extravagant than his last one, in a fancy neighborhood.

"Alright, Max." I pulled one earbud out and turned to face my mom. She looked at me for a second, then she pulled me into a tight hug. I hugged back.

"Be good, ok?" she murmured.

"I'll try." She pulled back and smiled.

"Ok."

I climbed out and got my things from the backseat. I waved to my mom, and she drove off. She prefers not to have any dealings with Jeb. After waving, I turned back to the house. I breathed deep.

"Here we go." I whispered to myself. I turned up the volume on my Ipod, and started walking towards the door. I reached out to knock, but before I could, the door swung open from the inside, revealing a very neat and groomed Jeb, in a polo and khakis.

He frowned at me and said, "Weren't your streaks green last time?" There wasn't any hug. No kiss, no 'Ive missed you so much Max.'. No. Of course not.

"Yep." I said shortly. "Can I come in?"

His frown deepened as he spotted my lip ring, which I hadn't had last time he saw me, and my Evanescence T-shirt. He looked at the earbud that was still in, and by the look on his face, I could tell he could hear my Seether blaring from the other one.

"Well?" I prompted. He scowled, but he stood to the side to allow me to pull my suitcase through the door. I stopped to stare in awe at the large marble room in front of me, with the majestic wooden staircase curving gently up to the second floor.

The door shut behind me, and Jeb moved in front to show me to my room. I followed him up the stairs, looking around with my jaw dropped.

"I attend church 4 times a week now." he was saying. "And you will come with me." I rolled my eyes.

"Fine, but you can't make me pray or study with you." I said in a bored tone.

"In the Bible it says to honor your father and mother." he retorted, his voice tight.

"And in the Constitution it says I have the right to religious freedom." I snapped back. We had had this conversation way too many times before. "And besides that, my mother said that I didn't have to. So there."

He looked back to glare at me. "Nonetheless, you will attend church with me, and when you do you will be polite, you will remove your lip ring, and you will dress modestly." I bristled at the last part. The first two are understandable, as much as I hated taking my ring out, but the third made it sound like I was a slut or something.

"Jeb, I wear jeans and t-shirts. Whats not modest about that?" His shoulders tensed, and he stopped in the middle of a long hallway. He opened the first door in the hall, on his left.

"This is your room. Keep it clean." he muttered, then quickly pushed past me and hurried away. I sighed and stepped into the bare room. This would be a looooong month.

Fangs PoV

"Nicholas!" I closed my eyes and cranked up the volume on my Ipod, making my music blast even louder through my speakers, so that I couldn't hear my moms annoying voice anymore. Despite that, I could hear my dads steps thumping up the stairs, and I hid my head underneath a pillow.

My door swung open and slammed against the opposite wall.

"Nicholas! Turn the noise off!" My father roared only a few feet from me. I reached out blindly, managing to yank the cord from my Ipod, and silence fell. "Now get up and get downstairs now!" My jaw clenched, but I obeyed without looking at him, leaving my black painted and poster covered room and heading downstairs.

As I entered the living room, I shoved my hands into the pockets of my black zip up hoodie and clenched one of my fists around the headphones I had left inside it. I stared down at my black Converse, refusing to look up at my mother. I knew it irritated her when I didn't look at her, so I avoided looking at her as much as possible.

"Nicholas, you know our friend, Jeb." My mom said, her voice prim as ever. I nodded once. Yeah, I knew Jeb. He's one of the crazier ones around here, and an ass on top of it.

"We're going to his house for dinner." I mentally groaned. I hated him, he always stares at me. Well, everyone stares at me, but usually its with disgust or mockery. But Jeb stares at me with hatred, as though I personally insult him with my snakebites and dyed hair. I can't imagine how.

"And you should know, his daughter just arrived." His daughter? Wow. Even though she's probably just like most of the others girls here, I can't help but feel bad for her, having him as a dad. "She is your age, seventeen. I expect you to be polite." I nodded again. "Now go upstairs and change."

"Anne, we don't have time for that." My father protested. I smirked. They both hated my appearance, but if it's anything my dad hates more than that, it's being late. My mom just sighed, knowing there was no arguing with him, and stood up. I wanted to run back upstairs and grab my Ipod, but I was ushered out of the house before I could.

This evening would be very interesting.

The drive was only a few seconds long. I would have taken my motorcycle, but my parents forbade it. When we arrived, I really started to miss my Ipod. No doubt they would expect me to hang out with his daughter, and she was probably one of those girls. You know, the ones that obsess over One Direction and wear nauseating amounts of pink. If I had my Ipod, I could shove my earbuds in my ears and drown her out. But not this time, and I was already bracing myself for a hellish night.


	3. Chapter 3

Fangs PoV

My father knocked on Jebs huge front door, precisely at 6 p.m. A mere moment later, as though he had been waiting next to it, it swung open to reveal Jeb, dressed perfectly as usual.

"Hello Jeb." My father greeted. My mother nodded to him. Then they all turned to look at me, expecting me to say something nice and polite. I just looked down at him through my fringe, since I was taller than he was. After an awkward moment, he cleared his throat. My parents were glaring at me, but it was so worth it.

"Come in, come in. Dinner will be ready in about a half an hour." Jeb said, ushering us inside the large entryway. The door shut behind us with a large slam, which made me cringe. It sounded like the gates of hell slamming shut.

"Maxine!" Jeb roared up the stairs. Maxine. Ugh.

"Jeb, I've told you a million times to call me Max!" yelled a surprisingly strong, slightly hoarse voice from upstairs.

"Come downstairs!" Jeb responded, casting a slightly embarrassed look at my parents.

"No! I am not meeting any more of your stupid church friends!" My eyebrows rose at Maxs response. Huh, maybe she wasn't as bad as I thought.

"Maxine." Jebs voice had an unspoken warning in it. We heard the girl groan, then there was footsteps from upstairs, and a door slam. Then a girl started to descend the stairs. She was tall and slim, with dirty blonde hair that flowed to her mid back. Then the best part. It was streaked with bright, bright red. Her large brown eyes were lined with black eyeliner, and she had a single black ring through her bottom lip. Her black combat boots thumped against the stairs. She had dark boot-cut jeans, and an Evansecence t-shirt. I could see an Ipod in her pocket, and a single earbud was in her ear.

Woah.

Maxs PoV

I swear I hate Jeb so much right now. He's been calling over family after family to meet me, and all of them had hated me as much as I hated them. I am so tired of his shi-

Whoa.

In the marble lobby stood Jeb and what looked like a normal couple. But the boy behind them stuck out like a red thumb. He was tall, taller than all three adults standing around him. He was wearing a black hoodie, a BVB t-shirt, black skinny jeans, and black converse. His hair was pitch black, and part of it hung scruffily over his eyes. That part was dyed with chunks of blonde and light brown. He looked up in my direction, and I got a look at his face. His skin was olive colored. He had black snakebites. And his eyes were so dark, they were practically black. I saw those black eyes widen when he saw me, and I had to remind myself to keep going down the stairs so that I wouldn't just stop and stare at him.

When I finally reached the bottom, I found that he was about 4 inches taller than me. His eyes followed me as I walked over to them.

"Maxine." Jeb said tightly, obviously unhappy with my stunt. "This is Noah and Mariah, and their son Nicholas."

"Call me Max." I said, sounding like I was talking to all of them, but keeping my eyes focused on their son. I saw the corner of his mouth lift a little in the smallest of smiles.

"Nice to meet you, Maxine." Noah said, placing emphasis on my name. I ground my teeth. There was an awkward silence, then Jeb cleared his throat and spoke again.

"Right. Maxine, why don't you show Nicholas your room? Dinner will be ready in thirty minutes." Without looking at me, he turned and lead Nicks parents out of the room. I waited until they were out of earshot, then I turned to Nick.

"Alright." I said before he could speak. "Before we go anywhere, you call me Max, or I break your face. Capiche?"

He smirked at me. "Only if you call me Fang." he said in a super deep voice. Fang. Odd, but I like it. It suits him. I grinned.

"Deal." I said, holding out my hand. He shook it once, then I turned and started leading him up the stairs.

"What're you listening to?" He asked, nodding to my earbud.

"Linkin Park." He nodded his approval. Now normally I wouldn't care, but I felt like I was being rude, so I pulled the earbud out and switched off my Ipod just as we got to my room. I shouldered the door open and led him inside. Once he was in, I closed the door and plugged my IPod back into the speakers. Before I could hit play, Fang spoke up.

"So." he said. "Jebs been here a few months now, and I've never seen you around." He flopped face first onto my bed and looking up at me through his fringe. I settled down next to him.

"My parents are divorced." I explained. "I'm only gonna be here for a month, then my sister comes for another one."

"Is she anything like you?" I had to chuckle at his question.

"Her name is Ella, and no, she's actually really different from me. Anyway, are there any other kids around here like us? You know, dyed hair, piercings, band t-shirts?"

A smirk grew on his lips. "Actually yeah, they're my friends. And I was planning on hanging out with them later tonight. You wanna come meet them?"

"That depends." I answered with a smirk of my own. "What time? And where?"

"We're meeting at 11:30 tonight. I can show you the way if you want."

"Hmmmmm." He waited patiently for my answer while I thought it out. Jeb would never let me hang out with other kids like me, and especially not in the middle of the night. Which meant I would have to sneak out.

"I'd have to sneak out." I said. He smirked.

"Is that a problem?" he asked, a sly look in his eyes.

"Not at all."

"Awesome. I'll meet you outside at 11:15."

I nodded and finally hit play on my music, but I kept it turned down so that we could still talk. Fang raised his eyebrows when he heard the song. Rebel Love Song, by Black Veil Brides.

"You have a good music taste." he commented, looking away to keep it casual.

"Glad you think so." I responded with a hint of snark. He chuckled at me and gave a half smile. I smiled back.

"Maxine! Nicholas!" Ugh. Dinner time. Great. I grabbed my Ipod and shoved it in my pocket before we headed downstairs.

The dining room table was huge, big enough to seat twenty people. We sat awkwardly in the center, with all manner of fancy silverware and such laid out. It would have been nice, had I known how to use any of it.

Fang had pointedly taken to seat next to me. I plugged my headphones into my Ipod and offered him one. He took it and I started playing Skillet.

"Maxine, no headphones at the table." Jeb said. I ignored him, which made Fang smirk.

"Nicholas, don't encourage her." his mom hissed. Fang rolled his eyes. You could practically see the steam coming out of her ears.

"Jeb, perhaps you should have more control over your daughter." Fangs dad snapped, sounding respectful somehow.

"I have no more control over her than you do over your son." Jeb responded coolly. You could have heard a pin drop after that. There was rage on Noah's face, but Mariah kept it together.

"I believe these two are bad influences on each other." she said calmly. Fangs knee bumped mine under the table, as if to say 'I knew she was going to say that'. I had to bite my lip to keep from smiling.

"With all due respect, Jeb, I'm afraid we will have to leave. Our son doesn't need any more people around him that encourage this behavior."

"Nor does my daughter." said Jeb, just as calm as Mariah. "You know where the door is." Mariah nodded tensely, and she and Noah stood up.

"Come along Nicholas."

Fang reluctantly stood up, but before following his parents out, he leaned down and whispered in my ear,

"See you at 11."

(A/N Ok, so to the guest who reviewed asking about uploading a story, I couldn't find your pen name so you need to leave a review while logged in so that I can respond to it. :)

UNC-

Silence)


	4. Chapter 4

Fangs PoV

"Would it kill you to just act normally for once in your life?!" Noah roared at me. He stalked around the living room, agitated beyond belief that I had undermined him like that in front of Jeb. If course, Max had done the same thing, so both parents were in the same boat.

"Actually, yeah, it would." I snarled at him. "Because I would rather kill myself than act like you!"

Noah whirled and grabbed the front of my shirt, yanking me forward.

"Say that one more time." he growled. "I dare you." I almost laughed. He thought he could intimidate me.

"You are pathetic." I said slowly, my anger showing in my voice. "You're nothing but a coward, a sheep, afraid of what everyone else thinks about you. You couldn't be your own person if you tried, you're already molded and set. Well, let me tell you something, Noah. I won't be like you! I would rather die!"

He roared, his face red with fury, and slammed me back against the wall. A picture frame next to us fell to the floor and shattered.

"Looks like I'll have to beat that out of you." he snarled in my face. I narrowed my eyes, unsure of whether he meant that literally or not. He slammed me back against the wall again. I guess he meant it literally.

"The Bible says to honor your mother and father." he said. "Those who don't shall be punished."

"You're a nut job." I told him.

He backhanded me, hard. My head snapped to the side and hit the wall, leaving my ears ringing. Throughout this entire situation, my mother had stood off to the side, just watching. Noah yanked me off the wall and shoved me towards the stairs. I stumbled, but quickly righted myself and went to my room. Right before I closed and locked the door, I shouted down the stairs,

"Jack ass!"

Maxs PoV

After Fangs family left, Jeb stared at me with such hate and anger that I thought we would try to hurt me. But he didn't dare, knowing what would happen if I told my mom. So he settled for yelling.

"Do you realize what you have done to my reputation?" he screamed, the vein in his forehead bulging. I just sat there, watching with amusement. "I am respected in this community, Maxine! I am seen as a leader! And I will not let you waltz in here and ruin it all because you're stubborn!" Now I was ticked off. I shot to my feet and started yelling back.

"I didn't waltz in here! You're the one who insisted on joint custody! I would rather be a million miles away!" His face was getting brighter and brighter red, listening to me. "And I am not being stubborn just for the hell of it! You want to know why I refuse to act like your perfect little model daughter?" Tears were welling up in my eyes now, but I wouldn't let them fall. "Because that isn't me! I wish you could just accept that and love me for who I am, not who I could be, if you love me at all!"

"Maxine." he said tightly, setting my teeth on edge, "Go to your room this instant."

"Gladly." I snarled, before running up the stairs.

I spent the next few hours screaming along to my angriest music at its highest volume, just to piss Jeb off. About 10:45, I turned it off, just so Jeb wouldn't get suspicious when I snuck out. A half hour later, I was creeping down the stairs and out the front doors.

To my surprise, Fang was leaning against a motorcycle parked outside Jebs house. He smirked when he saw my shock. I quickly composed myself and walked up to him.

"Nice ride." I said, matching his smirk with one of my own.

"Thanks." he returned. Then he turned and swung onto the bike. "You comin'?"

I climbed onto it and wrapped my arms around his waist.

And we were off.

We sped through the streets, going way faster than the speed limit. My hair was flying out behind me and it was exhilarating.

After a little bit of riding he pulled over beside a chain link fence. Behind the fence was a dilapidated concrete building that was covered in spray paint. The perfect place.

We climbed off the bike and followed Fang over the fence. I could hear music pounding from inside the building, and it was a song I liked. I smiled to myself. I had a feeling I was going to have a lot of fun tonight.

I followed Fang into the building through a doorless entryway and found myself in a large open concrete room. The walls had graffitti all over them and the floors were coated in broken bottles and cigarette butts. There was one ratty, torn up couch in the center of the room and a couple of bean bags. Four people stood in front of them. From what I could see, two of them were smoking and one was drinking. As I got closer, I could actually see their faces.

One of the ones who was smoking was a tall boy, nearly an inch taller than Fang. His strawberry blonde hair was spiked up and dyed at the ends so that it looked like he had stuck his finger in a light socket. His eyes were super light blue, almost clear. He was wearing a blue jean jacket, black skinny jeans, an Asking Alexandria t-shirt, and he had a metal stud through one nostril.

The African American girl next to him was the one drinking. Her hair was brown, and was obviously straightened, with bleached blonde highlights. She was wearing a short black and red dress with a tutu bottom and ripped black tights with combat boots accented with alot of bracelets. She didn't have any piercings that I could see.

Next to her was a shorter boy. He was blonde and had blue eyes. His hair was spiked like the redheads and he had 'Bite Me' shaved into the back of his head. He had an eyebrow piercing and was outfitted head to toe in camouflage.

The girl standing next to him looked a lot like him, blonde and blue eyed. Probably siblings. Her blonde hair had chunky blocks of hot pink and she had angel bites. She was the other person smoking, getting ashes on her Green Day t-shirt and black and white checkered skinny jeans. She had black vans laced on her feet.

The redhead spotted me and Fang walking towards them and grinned widely.

"Decided to join us I see." he greeted, then his eyes locked onto me and he whistled. "And you brought a babe."

My eyes narrowed, but the black girl sauntered up and leaned her elbow on the guys shoulder with a tipsy laugh.

"Don't listen to him." she giggled. "He's just a flirt. We all know who he really belongs to."

"Oh really?" the redhead shot back.

"Yeah, really." she responded, then she kissed him. Within seconds, they were heatedly making out.

I raised an eyebrow in Fangs direction. He held up his hands as if to say 'not my fault'. Then, with a wicked grin, the blonde boy yelled

"Hey, get a room!" Immature, but it got them to stop sucking each others faces. But I could tell by the way that the redhead looked at her that they weren't just in it for the novelty. He actually cared about her and didn't mind showing it.

"Guys, this is Max." Fang started. "Max, this is Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel." Weird names, but like Fangs, they suited them.

"How come we haven't seen you here?" Angel asked. "Did you just move in or something?"

"Something like that." I said. "My parents are divorced. My dad lives here and he has joint custody. I'm here for a month."

"Only a month?" Iggy said. "Well then, I guess we better make the most of our time. That is, of course, if you want to hang out with us."

"Of course I do!" I exclaimed. "Come on, who else am I going to find to talk to in this hell hole?"

They all smiled.

"Great." Gazzy said. "Fang, take her to go sign the wall."

I frowned with confusion while Fang took my hand and guided me over to a small section of graffittied wall. I quickly realized what it was.

The wall had all of their names signed in spray paint, along with a couple of names that I didn't recognize. I wanted to ask about them, but I decided against it and signed my name in red paint near the top of the wall, in big, bold, spiky letters.

"Welcome to the Flock, Max." Fang said, grinning.


	5. Chapter 5

Maxs PoV

That night was insane. We jumped around and danced and argued and laughed and spray painted and listened to music till the wee hours of the morning. At first, I had been a little wary of the cigarettes and booze, until Nudge informed me that not all of them did it. None of them judged anyone else for what they did or didn't do. Judgement free zone. I discovered that Iggy drinks and smokes, Nudge just drinks, Angel just smokes, and Gazzy and Fang do neither. I also found out that Angel and Gazzy are siblings, just as I thought they were.

Fang dropped me off at Jebs house at about 6:30. I said a quick goodbye and rushed up to my room. I managed to get there unseen, change into my pajamas, and crash out.

Unfortunately, I only got to sleep until 7:15, when Jeb came banging at my door like the Giant from Jack and the Beanstalk.

Fee fi fo fum

I smell the sleep of a teenager!

"Maxine! Get up!" I just groaned and rolled over.

"Go away Jeb." I muttered into my pillows. "I'm trying to sleep."

"It's time to get ready for church!"

Of flipping course. Just freaking fantastic. I pulled a pillow over my head and groaned, but after a few more minutes of Jebs roaring, I forced myself out of bed.

I sleepily pulled on a black dress with skulls and black tights (the only nice clothes I had) and my combat boots. I brushed my hair and put on my eyeliner and I stumbled downstairs.

Jeb didn't even bother with breakfast. He just hopped in the car and drove us merrily to his big fancy cathedral. God.

Once inside, I was surrounded by crisp clothes and fake smiles. I did manage to get a glimpse of Nudge in the crowd. As tired as I was, she had to be hella hungover. Poor girl.

While I stood in the swirling chaos, bracing myself for the flurry of introductions and odd looks, I felt a hand slip into mine.

"Welcome to hell." Fang whispered into my ear in his best spooky voice. I laughed and elbowed him, making his hand release mine. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of his mother giving me the glare of death.

"You should probably go before I suffer 'Death by Fangs Mother'." I whispered to him. He grinned cheekily at me, but vanished into the crowd just the same. I turned to see Jeb giving me a look that rivaled Mariahs.

"You are never to speak to that boy again." He hissed as he guided us into a pew. "Understand?"

I opened my mouth to retort just as someone called the meeting to order. Jebs attention was immediately fixed on the priest. I huffed, blowing some hair off my face, and leaned back against the wooden pew. This would be a long 2 hours.

That. Was. Torturous.

I had spent my time looking for the other members of the Flock. Nudge had her head in her hands, wincing when the priest slammed his hand on the pulpit. Iggy was fast asleep, his head leaning back against the pew. Angel and Gazzy were throwing little pieces of paper at each other. Fang was slumped in the pew, an earbud hidden in his ear, not even pretending to pay attention. About a half hour through, the priest was talking about how you should love your neighbor as you love yourself.

"Hypocrite much?" I had muttered, earning myself a glare from Jeb that could have burned through steel.

Finally, finally, it was over. As soon as I could I ran over to Fang.

"Kill me please." I said dramatically as I dragged him away from his parents. He laughed.

"Only if you agree to do the same." he said. I smiled. "Hey, why don't you give me your cell number? I want to be able to tell you when the Flock is going to hang out."

I smirked and exchanged cell phone numbers with him just before Jeb snatched my arm and dragged me out to the car.

"I told you not to speak to him again!" He yelled, starting the car. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms.

"Boo hoo, I'm sorry your feelings are hurt, princess." I snapped back. "But you can't tell me whom I can and cannot talk to. They're my friends."

"They?" Jeb asked. Oh shit. His brow furrowed dangerously, then his eyes sparked in angry realization. "You're talking about those other kids! Those… those… those freaks!"

"Freaks? They aren't freaks! They're my friends and I'm going to talk to them, I don't give a fuck what you say!"

We had just arrived at the house, and I threw my door open and ran upstairs to my room before he could send me to it.

He followed me.

He stood in my room and screamed his head off at me. Telling me what an ungrateful I was and how badly I had been corrupted and how horrible my mom was because she didn't raise me the way he wanted her to. Words were being hurled at me like stones.

I hurled them right back at him, but he seemed to have an invisible barrier. I just knew the only reason he wasn't reacting to my insults was because of his firm belief that he was right. He was the holiest and the most pious man alive and I was just his stupid rebellious bitch of a daughter.

I didn't have that barrier. Every single word he said went through me like a dagger and I struggled not to show how much it hurt me. Eventually, his voice started to go and he finally left, slamming my door behind him and yelling that I wasn't going to eat for 3 days.

I fell back on my bed and cried.


	6. Chapter 6

Fangs PoV

"You little brat!" Noah roared, chasing me through the living room. I ran as fast I could up the stairs, trying to avoid the belt he was waving over his head like a mad man. What had I done you ask? Well, I talked to Max obviously.

I winced as I felt the buckle slam into the back of my leg before I finally made it into my room. I locked the door behind me and quickly changed out of my church clothes, the door shaking from the father slamming into it.

I slid my window open and climbed down the tree that grew next to it. When I touched the ground, I went as silently as I could to the garage and got out my motorcycle. From inside the house, I could hear my dad still banging on my door and my mom yelling for him not to break any more of the pictures. Her husband chases her son up the stairs with a belt and she's worried about the freaking pictures.

I gunned my bike down the road, knowing that they heard me and not really caring.

Time Skip

I drove through the streets for about half an hour before heading to the Flocks hangout. When I got there, Iggy was already stretched out on the couch, a bottle of something alcoholic in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

"Hey." I muttered, shaking out my windblown hair and throwing myself into one of the bean bags. "Your brother push you around again?"

His brother was 19. He was a professional football player that got paid exceptionally well. He bought a large house for his parents and Iggy and paid rent for the room he lived in. However, Iggy was a stain on their sparkling reputation. So they made him sleep in a tiny closet in the attic and ignored it when his brother used him as a personal punching bag.

"Yep." he said glumly, taking a swig of whatever he was drinking. As he moved, I noticed a bruise on his jaw and sighed.

"Your dad?" he asked.

"Yep. Chased me with a belt."

Iggy scowled and shook his head.

"Hey Fang, do me a favor and put on Monster."

I obeyed, plugging in my Ipod and playing Monster by Skillet. It was our go-to rage song, whenever one of us was pissed we would play it as loud as we could stand.

Over the sound of the music, we could just barely hear the crunch of tires and the sound of an engine pulling up. I stood to see who it was, just as Nudge ran into the room. Iggy immediately sat up and set the bottle aside, crunching the cigarette under his heel. Nudge threw herself into Iggys lap, burying her face into the crook of his neck. I could see her shoulders shaking as she tried not to cry.

"He did it again, didn't he?" I muttered, letting my hair cover my eyes. She nodded.

Nudges step-dad molested her. Touching her where he shouldn't, saying things he shouldn't. He watched her all the time, getting dressed, in the shower. Major creep. Unfortunately, he was the priest at our church. No one would believe us if we tried to tell them.

Nudge raised her head from Iggys shoulder and shakily looked around. She spotted the bottle on the ground and scooped it up, quickly taking a long drink from it. I looked away.

I barely heard the tinkle of the chain link fence, and a few seconds later Angel and Gazzy walked inside.

"Hey." Angel said glumly. Gazzy just gave a little half hearted wave in our direction.

They were adopted. Their parents took them in as an act of charity 3 years ago. Since then, they had constantly reminded the siblings of what they supposedly owed the family. They made them basically slaves, trying to pay off their supposed debt.

Church days are always the worst for all of us.

My phone started vibrating in my pocket. I answered it without looking at the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Fang?" It was Max.

"Hey Max."

"Can you come pick me up? I don't care where you take me as long as it isn't here."

So Jeb was getting to her too. I don't blame her.

"Yeah I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Thank you." she said, and hung up. I stood.

"I'll be right back, I gotta go pick up Max." I explained briefly.

"Someones got a crush." Iggy muttered cheerlessly.

"Don't start." I warned. Then I stalked out to my bike and set off for Maxs house.

Time Skip

When I pulled up to the house, Max was waiting outside. She had kept the tights on but changed into cut off shorts and a t-shirt. She ran up to the bike and swung herself on without a word, burying her face into my back. I didn't say anything either, I just took off as fast as I could go without killing us.

I kept quiet until we were over the fence, then I opened my mouth.

"So, Jeb getting to you?"

"You have no idea." she huffed.

"What'd he do?"

"Well, he screamed about what a horrible corrupted daughter I was and how I was going to hell for about a half an hour, then said I wouldn't be eating for three days before he finally left me alone." I shot her a sharp look.

"He's starving you?" I asked tensely.

"I don't think he'll actually do it." she said with a shake of her blonde head. "He'd be too scared I would tell my mom and get him in trouble." I was about to ask if she really would tell her mom when we walked into the building.

Angel was now spray painting something on the wall in blue. Gazzy was lounging in a bean bag, tapping his foot to the song that was playing. Nudge was now laying on her back with her head in Iggys lap, still chugging on that bottle. Iggy was smoking.

"Hi guys." Max said as we walked inside. There was a responding chorus of 'heys' and 'whats ups' from the Flock.

"Did you and Fang have a good time?" Iggy asked with a smirk.

"Oh, ha ha." I responded dryly, shooting him a glare.

Max changed the song to something by Escape the Fate just as Angel capped her spray paint. I looked at the wall and saw that she had drawn:

_I'm no Cinderella._

I sighed and shook my head.


	7. Chapter 7

Fangs PoV

After a while Nudge stood up. She swayed, obviously more than a little tipsy.

"I gotta get home." she mumbled. "My step dad will notice I'm gone."

"I'll drive you." Iggy said standing up and holding out his hand for her car keys. His expression was one that left no room for argument. Nudge put the keys in his hand, then he looped an arm around her waist and helped her walk out to her car.

"See you guys later!" Iggy called back to us.

Gazzy glanced briefly at his watch and groaned.

"Me and Angel gotta go." he said. "We were supposed to clean the house when we got home."

Max shot them a curious look as I bade them goodbye, and they too left.

Max capped the spray paint she had been using to paint some intricate design on the wall and sat down on the couch next to me. She dropped her head back against the couch tiredly.

"Gosh I'm starving." she muttered. "You got any food?" My mouth quirked up in a half smile.

"No. But I've got some cash. Come on, lets go grab something to eat." Before she could argue, I grabbed her hands and pulled her upright.

We climbed the fence and hopped onto my bike. I was a little surprised at how warm she felt when she wrapped her arms around my waist, but I quickly pushed the thought away and headed for the closest fast food place.

We both got burgers and shakes and sat down on the curb outside the restaurant.

"So, Jeb goes to church 4 times a week." Max said as we ate. "How often does your family go?"

"The same days Jeb goes." I answered. "They're complete suckers for the guy." I added with a snort and an eyeroll. Max chuckled and took another sip of her shake.

"And what days are those?" she asked.

"Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. There are studies in the evenings on Wednesday and Saturday too, but usually I can get out of those if I run off earlier. They don't care enough to chase me down."

"You mind getting me out of those too?" Max said, shooting me a smirk. I returned it.

"Not at all."

We ate in silence for a few more minutes, then Maxs phone rang. She answered it, and i heard an angry female voice on the other end.

Maxs PoV

"Maxine Ride what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Mom, I-" I winced as her voice got even louder.

"Jeb called me and said you ran off somewhere!"

"I know, Mom. I was just hanging out with some friends I made here."

"Oh yes, these Friends. Jeb told me all about them. Breaking and entering, drugs-"

"What the hell are you talking about? Those are complete lies, Mom! He's lying to you so that I can't hang out with them!" She hesitated.

"Are you sure? You just met them…"

"I'm sure Mom. He's making it up to keep me locked away. He doesn't like them because they're like me."

"Well…. ok. Just be careful, ok sweetie?"

"I will. I promise. Love you."

"Love you too."

I hung up and buried my face in my knees.

"Max? What was that?" I looked back up at Fang.

"I hate Jeb so freaking much!" I exclaimed. "That was my mom. Jeb called her and told her that you guys did drugs and broke into houses!"

Fang scowled.

"Trust Jeb to do something like that." he growled. Just then, a car squealed up right in front of us, nearly running over our feet. We leapt up in time to avoid it, but my shake exploded under the cars tires. I looked up into the driver side window. Jeb.

The door opened and Jeb started to get out, his face red with anger. I thought fast. I grabbed Fangs wrist and dragged him over to his motorcycle. He got the clue and quickly started it up, taking off just as Jeb reached out for my arm. We heard him roar in anger as we sped away and couldn't help laughing. There would be hell to pay when I got home, but damn was it funny.

(A/N IM BAAAAAAAAACCCCCCKKKKKKKKK. DID YOU MISS ME? OMG I MISSED YOU GUYS YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW TORTUROUS THAT WAS AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. I LOVE THIS SO MUCH NEVER LEAVE ME AGAIN!

UNC-

A VERY HAPPY SILENCE)


	8. Chapter 8

Maxs PoV

We sped around through the streets for a good 15 minutes after, to make sure we had lost Jeb, then returned to the hide out. We walked inside, windblown and a little bit breathless. We looked at each other, then collapsed on the couch in laughter.

"Man, did you see his face?" I giggled.

"I've never seen him that mad." Fang chortled. We laughed for a few more minutes, then we finally calmed down. I got up and grabbed a can of spray paint and walked over to a wall, intending to draw yet another thing in the crowded mosaic of graffiti, then I stopped and looked at the wall of names.

"Hey, Fang?" I asked. "Who's Sam? And Maya?"

There were several seconds of silence, then Fangs footsteps bounced off the walls as he walked over to me. When I looked at him, he had a sad expression on his face.

"Sam and Maya used to be our friends." he said quietly. "A couple of years ago."

"Where are they now?" I asked just as quietly, already sensing that this was a tender subject.

"Sam was depressed. No one at school would give him a break and his family hated him. No one except for us would take him seriously when he asked for help. Eventually… he just snapped."

"And then what?" I asked, barely above a whisper.

"He committed suicide."

I swallowed hard. I had almost seen that one coming, but that didn't make it any less sad.

"I'm sorry."

Fang just shrugged and continued talking.

"Maya was Gazzy's girlfriend. She was really sweet, and actually she looked a lot like you. She lived in a bad part of town a long way from here, but she spent most of her time at her aunts house in this neighborhood. Once she was late and was walking home after dark. She was mugged."

I bit my lip. Poor Gazzy. Poor Maya. Actually, poor everybody.

"She was hurt really bad and was in a coma for three months before she… died."

I sighed.

"I'm sorry. Really, I am." I said. He shook his head.

"It was awhile ago. Just don't mention it to the others, especially Gazzy."

"I won't."

There was silence again until my phone rang. I reluctantly answered, knowing it was probably Jeb calling to scream at me.

"Hello?"

"Max? You should probably go back to Jebs."

"Oh, hi Ella. I thought you were Jeb."

"I can see why. You should head home, he's just getting angrier."

"That place is not my home Ella." I snapped.

"I don't care. If you don't go back he's probably going to call the police just out of spite."

"You know, I don't think I really want to." I said carelessly. I was just done with my family. I wasn't going to put up with Jeb. He can call the cops if he wants, but I'm going to do what I want for once and not worry about him.

"Max-"

"Goodbye Ella."

I hung up. Fang shot me a look.

"So, I take it that was your sister telling you to go back to Jebs?"

"Yeah. But I'm not going to. Not yet anyway. Maybe in a few hours, when I'm less angry." Instead of trying to talk me into leaving, the way I expected him to, he shot me a devilish grin.

"I like you." was all he said. Not in the way I know you're all thinking, but in a 'you're an awesome person' way. Which I was totally cool with.

Third Person PoV

Iggy, after taking a very drunk Nudge home and tucking her in bed, tried to sneak back into his house. He tried to slink by his brothers room without alerting him, and almost made it before a floorboard creaked under his shoe. He winced and froze, hoping against hope that his brother was out or hadn't heard. No such luck.

Iggy heard the squeak of the door hinges as it opened. His feet unfroze and he tried to dash away, but his brother obviously caught him and slammed him against the wall.

"Going somewhere, freak?" he snarled in his face.

"Come on, Dylan, you don't have to-" Iggy tried to say, but that just earned him a punch in the gut.

"Shut up! Did I say you could talk?"

"Well," Iggy croaked, "You asked me a question-"

"I said shut up!" Dylan snarled, punching Iggy again. This time, he stayed silent. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted his mother and father quickly moving past the hallway, their eyes carefully on the floor. Then he had to choke down bile as Dylan punched him again.

It wasn't fair.

Nudge didn't know how long she slept before she awoke. Something had woken her, but she was sure it wasn't her pounding headache. Then she felt a hand on her knee, on top of the covers.

Her eyes snapped around, making her head spin, to see the grinning face of her step-father looming above her.

She squeaked in fear and revulsion as he slipped his hand under the blanket. He just put his other hand over her mouth and calmly shushed her. She continued to whimper as the hand slowly slid up her leg, pushing under her skirt.

"There, there Monique." he leered, "Don't struggle darling. Just relax and enjoy."

Nudge squeezed her eyes shut and tried to ignore his cold, clammy touch over her skin. She would have prayed, but she knew from experience that no matter how many times she did, nothing would ever come to save her.

Gazzy and Angel snuck back into their house and began cleaning as fast as they could. They had just dried and put away the very last dish when their adopted mother walked in. Gazzy and Angel stood very still while the womans cruel eyes swept over their work.

"There." she said, her hand sweeping around to point at a barely noticeable spot on a cup. "You missed something. Do all of them again."

Gazzy and Angel gritted their teeth, but obediently turned around to do all of the dishes all over again.

Unfortunately, the woman heard Angel muttering angrily under her breath and immediately spun back to scold her.

"Don't you dare talk back to me young lady." she snapped. "After everything I've done for you, feeding you, clothing you, giving you shelter? Without me you would still be in that slum of an orphanage. This is the least you can do to pay off your debt, especially with how much I put up with your abnormality!" With that, she swept away, her heels clacking sharply on the newly polished marble floor.

Max and Fang spent the rest of the afternoon rocking out to their music and ignoring calls from their family members. At last, Max fell asleep listening to Saviour by BVB. Fang switched the song as soon as she fell asleep. The song reminded him too much of Sam.

He let her sleep for about 15 minutes, then he figured it was high time they go home. Their parents would probably be asleep by now, and if they weren't back in time for church the next morning they would be in serious trouble.

Fang gently shook Maxs shoulder until she woke up. She grumbled incoherently and glared up at him through tired eyes.

"Come on," he said softly, "Time to go home."

She let him pull her upright and followed him back to the motorcycle. She climbed on behind Fang and wrapped her arms around his waist, then leaned her head on his shoulder, as if intending to go back asleep. Fang couldn't help smiling the tiniest bit.


	9. Chapter 9

Maxs PoV

The next morning I was once again awoken at 7:15 by Jeb. I went through the same trip to church as yesterday, but with one difference. Jeb wasn't yelling at me. He was cold and distant and removed, like he was trying to pretend that I didn't exist. That worked just fine for me.

Halfway through the service, I felt my phone buzz. I pulled it out and glanced down at the screen, not caring if Jeb saw me or not.

_hey. the flock is going to the skate park after this. U wanna come?_

I smirked and sent my response.

_Do you even need to ask?_

Fang turned around in his seat near the front and flashed a quick smile in my direction. I returned it, then as Fang turned back around, I felt the icy burn of one of Jebs glares. I kept my eyes locked on the back of Fangs head and tried to ignore him.

After the torturously long service, I put up with Jebs icy silence until we got back. He didn't say anything, just pointed up the stairs. I did, and I was halfway through changing into my regular clothes when I heard the lock on my door click.

Well, shit.

_Slight issue. Jeb locked me in_ I texted to Fang

_Just hang on. I'll be there in a few minutes._

I finished getting dressed and waited for the buzz of my phone.

_Where's your window?_

I texted him the directions, then went and peered out through my window, confused. There was nothing that would get me to the ground, no ledges or trellis' or trees. What was he planning to do?

A few seconds later, he walked into my line of sight. He gestured for me to open my window, and I obeyed. To my shock, he held out his arms.

"Jump!" he yelled.

"Are you crazy?" I called back.

"Come on, just trust me. I'll catch you!"

I looked doubtfully at Fang, then glanced back at my locked door, then back at Fang. Then I sighed.

"Fine, but if I break my leg, I blame you!" I swung my legs over the windowsill and perched myself on the edge, then hesitated again. What was I doing? Jumping out a second story window? The hell?

"What's the matter Max?" Fang taunted from his safe position on the ground. "You chicken?" My eyes narrowed and my blood boiled. He did not just call me a coward. I would show him.

I shoved myself off the window.

I was in free fall for a moment, then Fang caught me, just like he said he would.

"See? Told you." he said, looking at me intently while he held me off the ground.

"Um, you can put me down now." I muttered awkwardly. His face flushed and he quickly set me back on my feet, carefully not meeting my eyes. I didn't want him to feel weird, so I elbowed him.

"So, skate park?" I said casually. He smiled at me, the awkwardness forgotten, and we left.

After a short drive, we pulled up to a skatepark that obviously didn't see much use in this neighborhood. The others were already there, waiting for us. Angel was on a bike, Gazzy was on a scooter, Nudge had rollerblades, and Iggy stood nearby with two skateboards. I assumed one was Fangs.

And I was right. Since I didn't have anything, I just sat on top of one of the ramps and watched. They were all really good, doing tricks and such. Iggy was markedly better on the skateboard than Fang, but that was probably because Fang spent so much time on his motorcycle.

After a half an hour of me watching them cruise around, Fang noticed my lack of participation and rode up the ramp to talk to me.

"Hey, Max, why don't you come with us? You can use my skateboard if you want." he offered kindly.

"No, it's fine." I declined. "I don't even know how to ride a skateboard."

"I could teach you."

I gave him a skeptical look.

He just held out his hand and said, "Come on." with a small smile on his face. I smiled back and took it, and he pulled me up.

We went back down to the flat area without any ramps and I stepped onto the board. I had been watching Iggy and Fang all afternoon, so I tried to push off the ground with one foot, like they had. I partially succeeded and rolled forward, but then lost my balance on the tilting board and wheeled to the side. Fang quickly caught me, our faces inches from each other.

"Wow, you're clumsy." Fang commented with a smirk.

"Hey, you're the one who offered." I responded. I was still being held tilted back from my fall, we hadn't moved an inch.

"That's true." Fang conceded, then swung me upright again. He didn't remove his hands from my waist. Instead, he settled me onto the board again, then took my hands. He stood behind me on the board and lightly pushed off the ground.

"See?" he whispered in my ear, his breath stirring my hair, "You have to take it slow."

He continued to mutter instructions into my ear while holding my hands in his warm ones and standing distractingly close to me. After maybe 15 minutes, I finally got an idea of how to do it and could shakingly push myself along without Fangs help. He watched me with a slight smile.

"Keep practicing and you'll be a pro." he told me. I just smiled in response, but it seemed to be enough for him.

Iggy muttered something I couldn't hear, earning a rather sharp look from Fang. I wonder what he said.


	10. Chapter 10

Time Skip

We stayed at the park for the next few hours. I kept practicing on the skateboard with Fangs help and by the end I could ride around pretty confidently and turn very sharp curves. I fell every few minutes, but Fang was always right there to catch me. Every so often, Iggy would make another quiet remark, earning another glare from Fang. That is, until Nudge occupied him.

Eventually I let Fang use his skateboard again and sat on top of the ramp with Nudge and Angel, watching the boys ride around.

"So Max." Nudge said. "Whats it like between you and Jeb?" I gritted my teeth.

"Basically, he wants me to be his perfect little angel child and I don't." I explained with a shrug.

"Oh." Nudge idly swung her feet and ran a hand through her hair.

"You know, it looks like Fang has taken quite the interest in you." Angel commented with a sly smile.

"What?" I asked, stunned. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, did you not notice?"

"Angels right." Nudge said in a sing song voice.

"I don't think so." I disagreed with a shake of my head. "He's just the first person I met here, that's all."

"Riiiiiiight." Angel said teasingly.

"Shut up." I laughed, nudging her arm. We all started laughing.

Fangs PoV

I came to a stop and looked over at where the girls were sitting. They were laughing and Max had a slight red tinge to her cheeks. I wonder what they were talking about.

"Hey Fang, admiring the view?" Iggy asked, skating up beside me. He and Gazzy laughed and bumped knuckles while I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, of your girlfriend." I responded. This time I smirked and Gazzy laughed while Iggy glared.

"Well soon I'll be the one enjoying the view of your girlfriend." Iggy shot back.

"What are you talking about?" I asked with a chuckle.

"Come on. You and Max." I blinked in surprise.

"What? Me and Max? No way man."

"Liar." Gazzy interjected. "I would bet money on you two."

"You would lose that money." I said, then skated off without giving them a chance to tease again.

I just met her. Those two are completely crazy.

Maxs PoV

Around 8, the others left the skate park. Me and Fang, not wanting to go home yet, decided to go get something to eat. We went to the same fast food place as before, and this time we ate inside. We laughed and talked while we ate, and this time there was no Jeb to interrupt.

Dare I say, it almost felt like… a date.

No. I'm not going to think about it like that. We're friends. That's it.

He drove me home, then we had the slight problem of how to get me back into my locked room without Jeb noticing. It's not like I could just scale the flat wall.

"How about we just hang out somewhere until later, then you can try to sneak in through the front." Fang suggested.

"Don't you want to get home?" I asked.

"Not really."

So we drove to a nearby park. We parked and headed to a clear spot in the trees and laid back on the cool grass.

We watched the stars for a while in comfortable silence. Then I propped myself up on one elbow and looked at him.

"Can I ask you a question?" I asked.

"Sure." he replied without moving.

"Do you hate your parents?" He stiffened a bit. "I mean, I really want to hate Jeb, even though I know I shouldn't. He is my dad after all. But I just can't seem to, not completely." Fang thought quietly for a moment before he answered.

"I don't know. They are my parents, but if they saw me about to fall off a cliff, I don't think they would care enough to save me. And if it were the other way around, I don't think I would either."

I didn't say anything, turning that thought around in my head. If Jeb was about to die, would I save him? And if I didn't, would I feel bad?

I couldn't tell for sure.

"I wonder," I said, "Do the rest of the flock hate their families too?"

"I know Angel and Gazzy do." Fang answered. "Nudge hates her step dad and I'm pretty sure Iggy hates his brother. And they all have good reasons."

I didn't ask what those reasons were. I knew that it wasn't my place to ask and it wasn't Fangs to tell.

"So how is school here? Do you guys get bullied?"

"Yeah. Most of the teachers ignore it too. It's a really small school, so you practically know everyone and they all live in this neighborhood."

"That must be fun." I commented sarcastically.

"Yep."

I rolled onto my back again and looked up at the sky wordlessly until Fang spoke.

"Tell me about your family. Besides Jeb, that is." he said.

"My mom is the best." I began. "She's actually Christian, but not the type that are around here. She prays before dinner and stuff, but she doesn't make us and doesn't make us go to church with her unless we want to. She let's us do whatever we want to do as long as we still get decent grades and we don't break any laws or hurt anyone."

"Really? She sounds amazing."

"Yeah, she is. Ella is the most amazing sister. She's loving and caring and always knows when to comfort me and when to leave me alone."

There was a short pause. "I wish I had that kind of family."

"I'm sure your parents love you Fang."

"Then maybe they should act like it once in awhile."

I sighed forlornly and looked over at him. His face was stony and flat, but his eyes burned.

"I know the feeling." I murmured, looking back at the sky.

"So. You ever had a boyfriend?" I looked over at him curiously, but his eyes were locked on the stars. I thought for a moment before answering.

"Once." He looked at me, obviously asking what happened. "He cheated on me. With some cheerleader."

"I'm sorry."

I just shrugged. "It was a long time ago. We weren't even together that long. Just a couple of months."

"Still. He could have at least had the decency to break up with you before going after some other girl."

"That certainly would have made it easier for me."

"I hate guys like that, the ones that treat girls like toys. Girls aren't something to play with, they deserve respect."

"So do guys. Everyone deserves at least a little bit of respect, since they are human beings."

Fang shot me a half smile. "Yeah. Exactly."

I smiled a little bit back, then I sighed.

"What is it?"

"Nothing. I'm just not sure how long I can survive with Jeb. I might just have a mental breakdown." I joked.

"Don't worry. I'll keep you out enough that you should stay sane."

I smiled.

"Hey Max?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry for this."

I turned to him with a frown of confusion. "Sorry for wha-"

Before I could finish my sentence, he had rolled onto his side and kissed me.


	11. Chapter 11

It was just a quick peck, then he was back in his previous position, staring at the sky. His cheeks had a slight pink tinge to them.

I was frozen with shock. I didn't know what to do, so I cleared my throat and started talking.

"It's weird how different people are." I said shakily. "So many religious people are so nice and kind. They love their faith, but they don't force it on you and don't treat you any differently just for being different from them. Then there are these people, these people who are so judgemental and fake. It isn't fair."

Fang didn't say anything. I sighed.

"Sorry for changing the subject. I just had to build up some nerve." I said quietly.

"Nerve for what?"

"This."

Then I was the one who rolled over, and I was the one who kissed him.

This one lasted longer. He had his hand on the back of my neck, tangling into the hair at the nape of my neck. After a few seconds, I pulled away. He was staring at me in astonishment.

Feeling my face starting to flame up, I quickly stood up and faced away from him.

"Max?" I heard the grass rustle as he got up as well.

"I'm sorry." I said hastily. "I don't want you to think I'm one of those girls, or anything-"

"And I don't want you to think I'm one of those guys."

I looked back over my shoulder at him. His face and his eyes were unreadable. A slight breeze slipped through the clearing, lightly stirring my hair and pushing his over his eyes.

Then we were kissing again, just like that.

I had just placed my hands on his shoulders when my phone rang.

I pulled away and glanced down at my phone. It was Jeb. Of course it was Jeb. He probably found out I had left and was having a rage session.

"Don't answer it." Fang told me.

"No duh genius." I said back. I let my phone fall into the grass and kissed him again.

His fingers lightly ran up my spine, barely palpable through my heart was racing. I couldn't believe I was doing this, kissing a guy I had only known for 3 days. When you write it out, it really sounds crazy. But it felt right, and I didn't want to stop.

Fang pulled away. "I'm not sure about this, Max." he said hesitatingly.

"Neither am I." I replied breathlessly.

And then we went right back to kissing.

"I know-" I gasped out between frenzied kissing. "I shouldn't- hook up with- a guy I met- three days ago- but- what the hell?"

"Not a hook up." Fang told me firmly. "I want this to mean something. I'm not saying we have to get together or anything, but I don't want to pretend it never happened, you know?"

"Oh, this definitely happened. " I reassured him as I continued to attack his mouth. He shut up and went with the flow, letting one hand rest on my waist and the other on the back of my neck.

I let out a breathy sigh as he moved away from my lips, pecking kisses across my jaw and down my neck to my shoulder before continuing up.

He wasn't getting too crazy, but it was certainly enough to get my blood pressure rising.

Fangs phone rang too, but without stopping his kissing, he reached into his pocket and dropped it to the ground beside mine. Probably his rents.

"So- you- getting me out of- that- study group- tomorrow?" I asked while pulling his face back up to kiss him again.

"Yeah. Is that- ok?" Even he was being forced to gasp out his sentences in between kisses.

"Does this answer your question?" I said as I kissed him extra deep and hard.

He tilted his head the other way and pulled me down onto the ground with him so we weren't standing up. In a few seconds, I was in his lap, running my fingers through his hair.

I'm normally not like this. It took Dylan weeks to convince me to go out with him. I guess there's just something different about Fang. There's something about him that makes me want to trust him, with everything and anything. Or at least make out furiously with him in a park.

Fang wrapped his arm around my lower back and slowly moved forward until I was laying on my back in the grass.

He had just moved to my neck again when my phone started ringing again: right next to my head. I reluctantly flipped it open and answered. Fang didn't stop though, just kept pecking kisses over my skin.

"Maxine." said Jebs cold voice.

"Yes Jeb?" I responded as innocently as I could, which wasn't easy considering Fang had moved down to my stomach, where I just happened to be very ticklish.

I kept biting my lip to hold back my giggles as Jeb ranted. "Listen young lady. You cannot continue to sneak out and hang out with those delinquents! I'm your father and you will obey me! I know what's best for you! Do you understand?"

Fang hit an especially sensitive spot and a laugh escaped my lips. I slammed a hand over my mouth until I calmed down, then I interrupted Jeb. "Sorry, Jeb. Gotta go." I hung up with a sharp click.

Fang pulled himself up until we were laying next to each other.

"You are going to get me into so much trouble." I told him jokingly. He chuckled and turned onto his side, studying my face intently. One of his hands started combing through my hair, making me shiver pleasurably.

"I don't really know what I'm doing." he said softly. "I've never had a girlfriend, and I don't even know if that's what we are yet. If we're anything."

"It's ok." I responded. "I'm not really sure what I'm doing either." I turned my head and looked him in the eyes. "How about we just… go with it? Figure it out as we go?"

"Ok." He said before kissing me again.

It was a little awkward trying to work around our lip rings, but it did work.

I pulled back after a few moments and smiled at him.

"It's not as bad here as I thought."


End file.
